


Force and Faith

by Keepmystrength



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 16:49:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11513448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keepmystrength/pseuds/Keepmystrength
Summary: During a War you have tough decisions to make and many things to lose. Political leader Peeta Mellark was willing to go back to jail and give everything up if that's what it took to assure his country's freedom. Everything but one thing: his wife.AU inspired in the Venezuelan political leader, Leopoldo Lopez, and his wife, Lilian Tintori.





	Force and Faith

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. I’m sorry I disappeared for so long, but to be honest I didn’t have the time or the motivation to write anything. Things have been though in my country, and it’s taken an emotional toll from me, you have no idea. My eyes are filling up just by writing this. For those of you who don’t know, I live in Venezuela. If you have no idea what’s been happening over here, I suggest you do some research about it.
> 
> Last Sunday (July 9th, 2017) was our 100 day mark in continuous rebellion against Nicolas Maduro’s regimen. I will offer you more information below the cut at the end.
> 
> Writing this was especially hard, so I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> I don’t own The Hunger Games, but all mistakes belong to me.

 

Peeta Mellark was a political leader in the troublesome country of Panem –which had been ruled by the tyrant Coriolanus Snow for the past 19 years–. Peeta had earned several degrees in Sociology and Economic sciences, and years later, he received a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, and then an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree.

He’d also been in prison for the past three and a half years.

* * *

 

Katniss woke up with a start, unaware of her surroundings. She looked around, eyes wide, until she recognized her bedroom, then tensed up again when she felt someone’s arm heavy on her chest. Instantly, the figure pulled her closer and gave a pleased sigh on her shoulder. Yesterday’s events came back to her.

Peeta was home.

She burrowed deeper into his chest and tried to keep the tears away as the memories of the past three years overwhelmed her, almost crushing her. She was so, so tired, but she felt that if she closed her eyes he’d disappear. Earlier, she had been unwilling to go to sleep, but after hours of making love with Peeta, and noticing the deep, purple bags under his eyes, she wouldn’t deny him taking a nap with his wife for the first time in three years.

His breaths were steady, and they kept her at ease. They made her realize that it was real. He was here with her. She had never been so thankful for his snoring in her life.

She tried not to move, so he wouldn’t wake, but the moment she shifted in his arms he went stiff and instantly sat up, looking around nervously until his eyes focused on her. Her heart broke. He’d always been a deep sleeper, but now, every little movement would wake him. It outraged her, knowing that due to all the tortures he received in that place he felt he needed to be alert even in his sleep.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” she spoke silently in the dark.

He rubbed his eyes, “It’s okay. Why were you up?”

She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep,” he didn’t have to ask her why. He knew why.

Instead he lay back on the bed and opened his arms to welcome her in. She didn’t need to be told twice.

She crawled back into her safe place, but instead of settling on his chest she reached up until she found his lips, devouring him. Peeta groaned and shifted, pulling her on top of him as his hands caressed her nude back.

He moaned, “Katniss,”

She didn’t answer, only moved his hands from her back to her breasts as she explored his mouth confidently, both their bodies already naked from their previous activities in the early afternoon. He gripped and squeezed and kissed every part of her he could reach, while she moaned to encourage him on.

She could feel his urge straining against her belly. His face was barely visible to her, her eyes still adjusting to the dark, but she didn’t need to see him, feeling how _right_ his form fit against hers was enough.

 She reached between them and stroked him, their mouths still fused together. She wasted no time in sliding him inside her, and she pulled back to keen loudly, Peeta now nipping the pulse point on her neck.

When they –unfairly– took him and threw him in jail she vowed she wouldn’t break. She needed to be strong. She had to move and influence the masses and do her best to get him out. She swore she would get him out.

She knew that if she let herself fall, she’d never get back on her feet. So she travelled and reached to the international community. She directed political movements. She did everything she could, but it still wasn’t enough. They didn’t get him out because of what she did, but because the most important political figures of the world were breathing down Snow’s neck about the past 100 days of violence in the country.

Peeta was still a prisoner, though. They gave him house arrest for the next eleven years (that if they didn’t change their minds and threw him back in that fucking prison), but this was a step closer, a brim of hope. Hope that the end was close.

She didn’t care why or whom they did it for, all she cared about was him, being right where he belonged: with her.

So now, with him moving inside her and breathing her name in her ear, she let her body fall over the cliff.

…

The next morning when she woke she found the bed empty next to her, the sheets cool.

She panicked. “Peeta?”

Then she screeched: “Peeta?!”

She ran from the bed and took her robe from the closet where she’d left it the day before –not noticing Peeta’s clothes thrown haphazardly across the room– hastily tying it and running down the stairs…  Only to collide with her husband, making him fall with her on top of him.

He groaned, then looked up at her alarmingly, “Are you okay?” he ran his hands over her, checking for injuries.

She didn’t answer, only stayed on top of him, hugging him closer.

“Katniss?” 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just…” she sighed. “I thought everything had been a dream. You weren’t there when I woke up, so I thought…”

He felt her shiver. “I’m here. I swear I’m here.”

They stayed there for a few more minutes. Not talking, just lying on the floor, holding each other.

He broke the silence, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. I woke up a few hours ago and couldn’t go back to sleep, and you looked so peaceful I didn’t have the heart to wake you up for another round,” he smirked.

It’d been a while since she’d seen him looking so amused.

She snorted, “You know I’m never too tired for that,” she joked, rejoicing in the sound of his humorous laughter.

“I’ll keep that in mind,”

She pulled herself up, then tended her hand to help him stand. As soon as he was up she tugged him closer and joined their lips together. They kept kissing for minutes (hours?) until her stomach rumbled loudly, and they broke apart. He laughed against her lips and then pecked her forehead lovingly.

“C’mon,” he took her hand in his and led her into the kitchen. Katniss couldn’t help but notice the ease with which he moved in their home. 

They’d been married two years and living in a small and stuffy apartment before buying and moving into this house. He’d barely spent a year in their new home by the moment he was imprisoned.

He pulled her into the kitchen, and she noticed the dough rising in the counter. She knew he liked to bake when he was stressed. She made a mental note to call Haymitch and ask him to move some contacts so she could buy Peeta a few bags of all-purpose flour so he could bake all he wanted, although that might be difficult, and expensive. The severe shortage of food increased every day, as did the number of people eating from garbage cans on the street.

After making breakfast and eating together, Katniss decided to take a look at her phone. She’d forgotten the damn thing since yesterday morning after she was informed they were bringing Peeta home. The phone was almost dead, and it was exploding with notifications. She noticed a big number of missed calls were from Finnick.

She’d call him back. Someday.

She knew she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t shut the country out. She knew just because her husband was home that didn’t mean the war was over, far from it. They still had to fight for his full liberation, and for the liberation of the 2000 people imprisoned unfairly. They had to make it right, for the 95 people who lost their lives, fighting for the freedom they deserved. For the mothers who lost their children. Because that’s what they were: children. Most of the dead had been kids between 17 and 22 years old. They didn’t get to know any government other than the scumbags that had been ruling the country for the past 19 years.

Her traitorous mind whispered in her ear, saying it wasn’t Katniss or Peeta’s responsibility to take the rails in the war. Katniss was ashamed to admit that if Peeta had been fully released she would have already bought their plane tickets to leave that inferno behind.

They were kids when they got married, fresh out of college and with a head full of dreams. Before he proposed, Peeta told (warned?) Katniss how much he loved their country, how he would _always_ fight to make justice, how he’d never leave, and he’d help recover it from the hands of those who sucked the life out of their mother land.

_It’s okay,_ she’d said, because she loved their country as much as he did, and she’d vowed to fight alongside him. But now, years later, how could she feel the same after so much had been taken from them?

Her train of thought broke as she heard voices outside. Curious, she got up from the table and walked to the curtain-covered window. She smiled when she looked at the crowd outside.

Peeta was released from prison before dawn the day before, and by 7 in the morning the big news had spread like wildfire. By 10 in the morning their front porch was crowded with at least 500 people, everyone wanting to get a look of the newly released Peeta Mellark after being held captive for the past three and a half years. Katniss was afraid of him going out; she was scared that there would be some Snow-sympathizer that would hurt Peeta as soon as they had him in clear sight.

But Peeta, being the leader he is, couldn’t ignore the calls from his people.

He’d climbed to the roof of their house where everyone could see him, a Panem flag tied around his neck like a cape. The crowd went wild as soon as they saw him. They instantly started taking pictures and intonating the national anthem. She even saw many of them crying, and she started crying herself. Peeta was on the roof, waving the flag around and singing with the crowd. As soon as the song was over he gave a short speech, encouraging everyone to keep protesting. _We’re close_ , he’d said, and everyone cheered.

_“I didn’t negotiate my way out. I don’t mind going back to jail if that means freedom for my people and my country. I’ll do whatever it takes,”_ he'd promised.

He was a sign of hope for the citizens.

And today, again, there was another crowd in front of their house as large as yesterday’s. Maybe even larger.

She didn’t notice Peeta was next to her until he spoke: “So they’re here again,”

“Yup,” she confirmed. “Are you going outside?”

“They came to see me, it’s the least I can do,” he went upstairs to change.

A few minutes later, still looking on from the window, she heard the crowd roar and saw them look up. She Peeta was back on the roof. Once again they sang the anthem and took many pictures. He stayed up for about twenty minutes, and then she heard his heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. She quickly drew the curtains back.

“They love you,” she pointed out.

And they should, they really should. Peeta turned himself in on February, 2014, during a set of violent protests, so the streets would rebel even more. He thought once everyone saw their political leader turned himself in for the wellbeing of his people all hell would break loose. But he was wrong.

A month later everything went back to normal. People died. People went to jail. And still everyone went back to their old lives as if nothing had ever happened. People would complain all the time, but no one did anything whatsoever. Peeta went to prison so the government would reconsider. He offered himself in exchange for the country’s freedom, but they kept him and the country, too.

Katniss begged him many times not to do it. She knew it wouldn’t be worth it, but he wouldn’t listen. Once Peeta had something stuck in his mind no one could rid him of it, so she had to watch from the sidelines as the guards took her husband away, as if he was a criminal, in the middle of a concentration of people, in front of millions watching. She saw when they threw him in the worst prison of the state, alongside murderers and rapists and serial killers. She saw when they isolated him, kept him a room so small and secluded he couldn’t even tell whether it was day or night.

They kept him in jail for a whole year without a trial, and when he finally had a trial he was charged for terrorism and committing vandalism, then decreed guilty and sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison.

Once everything was over, she’d kill the bastards who incarcerated him with her own bare hands.

Rapid successions of knocks were heard through the house, coming from the front door. She went to answer quickly before Peeta could, in case it was the press. Instead, when she opened the door she found Finnick Odair’s distraught face looking back at her. She feigned innocence.

“Hey, Finnick, uh, come on in.” he did. “Would you like some water?”

“Katniss!” he almost whined. “Damn it, it looks like all Panem is in your front yard.”

He shrugged his coat off, “Anyway, I’ve been calling you for hours. What do you have a phone for if you don’t answer the damn thing?”

Peeta came to her rescue. “It was my fault. We were busy,” he smiled innocently at Finnick.

Finnick smiled widely at him and crushed him in hug so fierce Katniss could see Peeta turning a little purple.

“It’s okay, man, you saw me yesterday, remember? Don’t choke me to death,” Peeta patted Finn’s back.

Finnick Odair was the vice president of the National Parliament, and alongside Katniss, he’d been the one to run most of the political actions in the past few years, especially in the past few months, ever since Peeta went to prison. Also, he’d been Peeta’s best friend since they were in high school. They both got involved in politics at the same time.

 “Sorry,” Finnick sniffed. “I just… can’t believe you’re here,” he said in awe.

During Peeta’s incarceration, no one was allowed to see him; sometimes they wouldn’t even let _her_ in. They only allowed immediate family and spouses, so Finnick hadn’t seen Peeta in the three years since he’d been gone. She’d always give him Peeta’s regards but it wasn’t the same, obviously.

“Well, I’m here, but I’m not free yet,” Peeta lifted his jean so the electronic cuff around his ankle was visible. The bright, read light flickered annoyingly back at her, as if taunting her.

“And neither is Panem.” He rolled his jean back down.

“Better than being in that shithole,” Finnick took him by the shoulders, “This is a step closer, my friend. Can’t you feel it? We’re so close I can smell it. Snow is totally shitting his pants right now. He’s more scared than a baby. The whole country is in rebellion, and has been for 100 days. Even his own minions are turning against him after he announced that constituent assembly bullshit,”

Ah, the cherry on top.

Initially, the protests began 3 months ago because Snow overran a decision of the Parliament, and the country rebelled, calling it a coup. Then, about one month later, he announced he was changing the Constitution. He was going to eliminate voting, and private property would no longer be private, it would belong to the State, the government would decide what kind of education kids would get, and every worker –workers of _any_ kind, no matter their specific area of work, would now earn a minimum wage, which wasn’t enough to support economically a single person, let alone a family.

After his announcement people went crazy, and the protests intensified. The installment of the new Assembly would take place two weeks from now, and Snow was still in charge. Everyone seemed to believe they were in the final stages, and Katniss hoped so. She wasn’t sure how much longer the citizens would resist. It was now or never.

“I said the same thing three years ago,” Peeta claimed silently.

Finnick ignored him and sat in the dining room. “Anyway, as much as I love you, Peet, I’m not here to see your charming face.” Katniss and Peeta sat down too. “I’m here to talk to your lovely wife because someone isn’t answering her phone,”

His face softened. “I’m sorry to bother you two, as I’m sure you want to be alone, but we’re at war here, Katniss, and you’re a leader. People look up to you. You haven’t even made a statement on social networks about your husband being back home. Everyone’s on their toes waiting for you to say literally _anything_ ,”

She felt guilt running through her body like liquid fire. Finnick was right. She couldn’t expect the war would stop for a few days just so she and Peeta could go on their back-from-jail-honeymoon.

“I’m sorry,” she looked down ashamedly. “You’re right. We need to do this now while we still can,” she shot up from her seat and quickly grabbed her iPad, since her phone was dead, and published a statement on every one of her social networks, saying, yes, Peeta’s home, he’s physically okay, she’s relieved he’s home, but they’re still at war, there are many more out there who’re still unjustly imprisoned. They need to keep fighting.

“So, you two made up for lost time yet?” She looked up from the screen and saw Finnick wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her outfit. She’d forgotten she was still in her silk robe, bare underneath. She groaned and flipped him off, sprinting up the stairs to change while Finn cackled behind her. Peeta was silent, but she’d seen the mischief reflected on his face.

When she walked down the stairs after changing into a more appropriate outfit she heard the two men talking quietly from the staircase.

“… Told her yet?” Finn asked.

“Told her what, exactly?” Peeta mumbled.

“I don’t know, what they did to you in that hell hole, maybe,”

She heard a loud sigh. “I just got here yesterday, besides, Katniss’s not completely in the dark about what they did,”

Yes, she knew: Torture.

A few weeks ago she’d gone to visit Peeta with his two brothers, but the guards wouldn’t let any of them in. She’d refused to leave until someone explained why they wouldn’t let her in, and, of course, no one would offer any credible excuse, so they stayed there for hours, trying to get in. At one point, she became so desperate she started yelling for Peeta as loud as her lungs would give, and his brothers joined her. They had no idea whether Peeta could hear them or not, but they still tried.

It’d been over a month since she’d last seen him. 35 days to be exact. 35 days since no one knew anything about him, not her, not his lawyers, no one. They kept him isolated and wouldn’t let him receive any visitors. She was going crazy with worry.

After minutes of consistent shouting, they’d heard someone yelling back. At first she couldn’t make sure whether it was his voice or not, but when she recognized it, she heaved a deep sigh of relief. He was alive.

The relief lasted a few seconds, until she understood what he’d been yelling back. His brothers quickly pulled out their phones and started recording his screams. They could make out exactly what he was saying: _Katniss!! They’re torturing me!! Help me, they’re torturing me!! Katniss!!_

After that, the guards quickly sent them packing and forced them to leave. She didn’t remember much after that. One of Peeta’s brothers had to help her into the car, as she went practically into catatonic state. They quickly launched the video, and it went viral, making sure the whole world knew what they were doing to their brother. She remembered breaking down so badly they had to take her to the hospital and give her some tranquilizers, because she wouldn’t stop screaming bloody murder.

Her skin went up in goose bumps just thinking about it and her eyes filled up. She still heard his screams in her nightmares.

When they brought him in yesterday she quickly shed him of his clothes and looked him up and down, studying him closely, looking for any new scars he may had. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, and his skin was paler, the bags under his eyes almost black, and she noticed some bruises already vanishing. She also noticed how he suddenly favored his right leg.

Katniss had been dying to ask him what exactly they did to him, so she could complain to the international community, but she knew right now wasn’t the time. He’d just gotten back home. It wasn’t fair to corner him, asking for the details of his traumatic experiences. She knew he’d talk when he was ready.

“Katniss already has been through enough. I don’t want to burden her or overwhelm her,” Peeta continued.

“And haven’t you been through enough?” Finnick insisted.

“It’s different, I _chose_ this. It’s my own fault,” Peeta protested and she swallowed back a sob.

“Katniss is a big girl, Peeta, and she’s you wife. She might be giving you time to adjust now, but eventually she’ll ask. She’ll want to know. She won’t want you to carry that burden on your shoulders by yourself for the rest of your life,”

She could imagine Peeta running his hands wildly through his hair. “I know,” he admitted, and Finnick let the subject drop.

She quickly composed herself and walked loudly down the stairs to make her presence known.

“So,” she said casually. “What’s our next move?”

…

During the meeting, Peeta remained quiet. His eyes flickered from Finnick to Katniss, then down to the documents spread across the table.  

As Finnick talked, he spoke confidently, but looked at Peeta as if for confirmation, but Peeta didn’t acknowledge his gaze, just kept studying everything in silence. They encouraged him to participate several times, but he declined. After their planning was done Finnick left under her oath to answer her phone.

“Are you okay?” she asked Peeta once they were alone.

“I guess,” he began, “I just feel like I’ve missed so much,”

“You’ve been… away for three years. A lot of things have changed. The situation gets more critical every day. The shortage of food and medicine is worse than you can imagine. We closed in last year with an inflation of 700%, and currently the inflation is over 1000%, barely 7 months into the year. The guards keep getting more violent with every day that passes. They want a bloodbath.” she recited, “It’s a nightmare.”

Peeta cursed, “I can’t believe Snow’s still ruling, even after all that shit,”

She curled her arms around him. “I know, but you heard Finnick: we’re close. I know we are. We just need a little more faith, and we need to get more resilient on the streets, which is exactly what we’re going to do for the next 14 days,”

He looked down to her big eyes, glimmering with hope. He melted.

He kissed her temple, “You’re right. I know the end is close. Do you have to go the Parliament today?”

“Finnick, Boggs, Messalla and the whole crew will be transmitting live in a few hours to tell the country about this week’s actions, but they said I didn’t have to be there if I didn’t want to,”

“You should go,”

She frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t want to leave you alone,”

“Katniss, I’m not a baby. I can take care of myself. And you heard Finnick: the people need to see you. You’re their leader.” Peeta insisted.

_I’m not their leader; you are,_ she thought.  “Fine,” she scowled.

Peeta grinned from ear to ear, “You don’t know how much I’ve missed that scowl,”

A couple of hours later she was getting ready to leave. Since she was a diplomatic figure she had a driver –Chaff– that would take her everywhere. At first she wasn’t comfortable, but then she’d grown used to it.

She hesitated, her hand on the door knob. Peeta hugged her.

“I’ll be fine. Go on and do your duty. I’ll be waiting for you naked when you get back,” he joked, trying to lighten her mood.

She laughed. “I’ll be looking forward to it,” she kissed him deeply for a couple minutes until her phone started ringing.

“Goddamn Finnick, I’ll block him,” she mumbled. She gave him one last look and a small smile before going out the door.

He became bored pretty soon. The live broadcast wouldn’t begin for at least another hour, but Katniss had to get there earlier to talk with the crew and rehearse what they were going to announce.

When they bought their house they converted the small basement in a training area and gym, so that’s where he headed to.

He trained for 45 minutes until his watch beeped loudly to remind him of the press conference his wife would be leading.

Still sticky with sweat he went to the living room and quickly fired up Katniss’s laptop. He searched in YouTube and typed up _Panem’s Informative_ , clicking on the live streaming broadcast.

The camera showed a large rectangular table full of empty seats, and a small podium by the right end of the table. They hadn’t begun yet.

To get official and real information the citizens of Panem had to reach out to the public social networks such as YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. This because Snow had gotten off air all the news channels that transmitted the reality of what was happening in their country: hunger, deaths, negligence and violence. He’d only left on air two “news” channels that favored the government and made everything look like they lived in a magic land, where absolutely nothing was going on.

But the international community knew better than to believe that.

About ten minutes later the empty seats at the table were being occupied by most of his old partners. He recognized Plutarch Heavensbee, Boggs, Cressida, Messalla, Castor, Pollux and of course, Finnick. Katniss wasn’t occupying a seat on the table; instead she was standing behind the small wooden podium. The room clapped when everyone took their respective seats, and after the claps died down Katniss started speaking.

“I thank everyone for being present. As you all know, my husband, Peeta Mellark, was given house arrest yesterday before dawn. He’s physically getting better, but his moral and hope remain as strong as ever,” the room went up in cheers. His friends stood up and cheered with everyone. After a few minutes, Plutarch –President of the Parliament– stood and motioned for everyone to sit back down.

Katniss spoke again: “I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re relieved Peeta is back home where he belongs, but let’s not forget that he’s not free yet. He’s still a prisoner. Let’s not forget there are other 1500 civilians unjustly detained, along with other 500 political prisoners, over 2000 imprisoned in total, all of them enduring different tortures for pursuing their civil right to protest pacifically on the streets. So I make this call to everyone out there who’s listening: we must not abandon the streets!

“We must remain in rebellion until Snow is overruled. We have only 14 days left until Panem’s future is sealed with the establishment of a new Constitution. We must continue fighting, stronger than we’ve ever been before. The following couple of weeks will be tiresome and tough, but we must not lose hope. We must not forget what we are so close to achieving: freedom. Now, stronger than ever, we stand and fight together against tyranny,” she announced.

“Tomorrow is our hundred day mark. One-hundred days fighting for the cause. Tomorrow morning, all over the country we’ll reunite on the main square in each district, and then we will block all the streets for 12 continuous hours as is our customary action of protest. When protesting, please be safe. Remember this is not a game. Lives are at stake. Tomorrow on our hundred day mark we will take over the streets of Panem once again,” she concluded.

She retreated from the podium and moved to sit down just as Finnick stood up to give out more details about tomorrow’s actions.

Peeta knew the crowds would be pleased. Katniss mentioned the citizens had been asking for riskier measures for days now. Everyone was either exhausted or hungry or sick. They wanted to take bigger actions to bring Snow down once and for all. Peeta couldn’t blame them.

The conference ended as soon as Finn finished giving out the details, and the camera stopped transmitting in there and moved to a live concentration on the street. He could see the green-uniformed men throwing tear gas bombs at the people present. He felt pride wash over him once he noticed some kids picking up said bombs and throwing them right back at the guards, detonating them and expelling the gas. Peeta smirked.

He pulled up Google and searched as much information as he could of the past few months. Katniss informed him what little she could during her visits in prison, but he was still in the dark about many things. He opened link after link, the information overwhelming him. Pretty soon he got to the list of the people who were murdered while protesting. 95 people dead, either shot or blown up.

He rubbed his eyes and shut the device off after almost two hours of gathering information. Katniss would be home soon, and he was still sweaty from exercising. He went to their bedroom and took a shower. After dressing up he went downstairs to get started on dinner, just as Katniss walked through the front door, her phone glued to her ear and her arms full of folders and papers.

“No, _no_ **,** Plutarch, I know, but what choice did I have? Finnick asked me to come forward and I did. I don’t have something to regret, do I? Cressida has been showing me the citizens’ responses, and everyone seems to agree with tomorrow’s schedule,” she walked further into the house, dropping her belongings on the dining table. She still hadn’t noticed him following her.

She pulled her phone from her ear and stared at the screen, “Listen, Plutarch, I’ve gotta run. I have the head of edition of the _World_ ’s on the line. See you tomorrow on the main square,” she hung up without another word and quickly put the phone back on her ear. “Rue! Hi, thank you for waiting for me, oh, yes; I’ve got the file you sent me right here.”

She ran through the mess of papers and pulled a sheet up. “Yes, I did check it and it was mainly fine. I made some corrections though. I’m faxing the document forward to you right this second,” she ran off into the studio. Peeta followed silently behind.

“Yes, thank you so much for your help. Okay, bye,”

He put his arms around her and she jumped. “Shit! You scared me,”

He kissed behind her ear, “Sorry. What was that all about?”

She sighed, “Plutarch nagging me, as usual. The _World_ ’s newspaper is going to launch a reportage about your ‘release’ tomorrow morning, and since the head of edition is a friend of mine she wanted me to check it beforehand,”

He frowned. “Reportage?”

“You’re the most famous political prisoner in Panem. When they brought you here the new went viral in minutes. Everyone wants coverage,” her phone started ringing again and she groaned.

“See why I hate this thing?” she took a look at the screen and let it go to voicemail.

“It’d better not be Finnick, otherwise he’ll be here in minutes knocking our door down, bickering about you not answering your phone,” he claimed.

“It’s not,” she assured and gave him a kiss. “I’m sorry I took so long to get back. Things have been crazy. Another kid was killed this afternoon,” she went quiet. “16 years old.”

He pulled her close, “I’ll run you a bath,” she shook her head against his chest.

“I just want you,” she proposed. Of course he agreed.

…

Hours later, they lay in the same spot, naked as newborns, until their rumbling stomachs forced them up.

They made sandwiches with the bread he’d baked that morning. Katniss had work to do, so after dinner they sat together and he helped her. He noticed how tired she’d become. He had visibly lost weight while he was in prison, but Katniss had too. She still had a toned and lithe body, but her bones were becoming more visible to the eye, her skin sun-kissed from spending so many hours protesting under the sun.

“I think we both need some sugar to brighten up,” he brought up. “I’ll bake you a cake,”

Katniss arched a brow. “Um, sure, but you have to make sure you have all the ingredients first. Flour and sugar have been disappeared from the supermarkets’ shelves for years now, and eggs have become a luxury,”

He kissed her forehead, “Don’t worry, I’ll manage,”

He hadn’t baked in more than three years, but it still came naturally to him. He decided to bake Katniss’s favorite dessert: carrot cake. Thankfully, he found all the ingredients necessary, although he ran low on sugar. He pondered the thought of asking some to his neighbors, but he knew no one in their right mind would hand out sugar for free. Sugar was scarce, and when you did find it, it was ridiculously expensive.

The same happened with flour, bread, oil, butter, salt, powdered and liquid milk, and many more. If you didn’t buy the products for exorbitant prices you’d have to hunt for a bag of _whatever_ exclusively in the supermarket closest to your living place, with a special permission, nowhere else, once a week, and endure extremely long lines.

He took the cream cheese from the fridge for the frosting and cringed at the price embedded on the carton. Three years ago he could buy groceries for a month for that same price.

He sighed deeply. This would be over soon. He was sure of that.

…

Next morning he roused from sleep due to the lack of warmth next to him. He rubbed the crust from his eyes until they focused on Katniss in front of the closet. She was fastening a pair of jeans on her hips. The mattress squeaked under him when he moved to sit up, the sheet barely covering his morning erection. Katniss turned back to look at him and blushed.

“Good morning,”

He stood up and went to her in all his naked glory. He nuzzled her neck and placed soft kisses there.

“Where are you going so early in the morning?” it was barely 7:00 am.

She joined their lips. “Hundred days, remember? I have to go to the main square of the city,”

“Oh, right.”

They stayed up late last night, but she still woke up early, prepared to do her duty. She wasn’t wearing a shirt, only a black bra. He reached behind her to caress her back and playfully tugged the hooks, getting them undone. Katniss groaned.

“Peeta… I have to go,” she complained quietly as he leaned down and took one breast in one hand and a nipple in his mouth. Katniss moaned and his tongue circled harder around her nipple. When his other hand moved to unzip her jeans she quickly stopped him.

“As much as I want to do this, I have no time,” she brushed her lips against his. “But, I can do one thing before I go.” She sank to her knees and put him in her mouth.

After he came, she finished getting dressed and planted a sweet kiss on his mouth, her wedding rings burning a mark on his cheek as she held his face.

“I love you,” she vowed.

“I love you more,” he promised.

Once again he had to watch her leave while he stayed behind.

His feet itched. He wasn’t used to letting everyone else go in the front line while he did nothing. He was itching to get out of the house and go fight next to his wife and his people.

He decided to check in YouTube and Instagram to see what was going on, at least to make some time until Katniss got back.

There were an incredible amount of videos, not only from the Capitol but from the districts, too. He saw the sea of people who had gathered to demonstrate, once again, that most of the population wanted a change. He clicked on a video of the Capitol, and saw Finnick giving out a speech, Katniss by his side. As was customary, he encouraged everyone to remain strong. He finished his speech with a pointed look that said “You know what to do,” directed to the masses.

And just like that, the whole country was on lockdown.

After a few minutes, pictures of all around the country started popping up in the computer. The Capitol was on lockdown from head to toe, every main street barricaded.

Many people chose the opportunity to deliver some food, as a thank you, to the kids of the Resistance, since most of the members of the movement had serious financial problems.

The Resistance was a group of people –mostly young men and women– that fought directly on the streets. They were the ones that stood up to the guard when they were attacked during pacific movements.

Katniss had given him a phone yesterday so he’d call her if he needed anything. Said phone was now ringing obnoxiously in their bedroom. He ran up the stairs and took the call before it went to voice mail.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” Katniss’s voice said through the line. “What are you up to?” it was hard focusing on what she said since there was so much background noise.

“Uh, not much, just watching the news,”

“Oh, well, I just called to let you know that I won’t be home for a few hours. Finnick and I are going to support the lockdown. We’re going downtown for a few hours, and then North. We might be swinging back and forth, just going where they may need us,” she announced.

 He smiled. He was so proud of her. “Go on, then,”

He looked through the living room’s windows and noticed his own neighbors barricading the street.

He could feel her hesitating on the other side, “Will you be okay?”

She’d been treating him like a baby since he got home. He knew she didn’t mean to do it, but it still annoyed him a little bit. She treated him like he was a glass figurine. Like if she made a wrong move or said the wrong thing he might break.

“Yes, Katniss,” he said stiffly.

“Well, okay, um, I’ll be home in a few hours.”

 “Please be safe. I love you,”

“I love you too,”

They hung up. He knew they’d have to talk once she got back. So far they’d been pretending everything was okay, making up for lost time and having sex every chance they got, but they needed to talk about how uncomfortable he felt with her babying him.

…

After a couple hours he felt like he was suffocating.

The same four walls were closing in on him, and he was going crazy just by looking at the news of the districts. The guard had already started to dissipate the people gathered in different zones, throwing them tear gas and raining them in bird shots.

He hadn’t talked to Katniss in over two hours, and he was about ready to crawl up the walls. The repression that day had been especially brutal. By midday there were several wounded and asphyxiated by the gas. He even saw a photo of a pregnant woman being aided by members of the Red Cross because she’d been affected by the gas. He felt like throwing up.

Videos and pictures kept coming throughout the whole afternoon. Several videos of kids who blew up military tanks with homemade bombs, pictures of people hurt and people getting detained. It was devastating.

By 4 in the afternoon he still hadn’t heard a word from Katniss. He knew she’d be busy going all around the city, but he was going crazy. He’d tried to call several times, but the phone would go straight to voice mail. Finnick wouldn’t pick up either.

Faintly, he could make out the sounds of bombs going off in the distance, followed by a round of shots. The whole country was a warzone.

As if a voice had whispered it in his ear, he decided to check Twitter again, only to be greeted by dozens of pictures of Katniss and Finnick from earlier that day.

_“The wife of the political leader Peeta Mellark, Katniss Mellark, resulted hurt in the afternoon of the 100 day mark during the city’s 12-hour lockdown in upstate Capitol,_ – _”_

His. World. Stopped.

He viciously continued reading faster.

_“…Along with the vice president of the Parliament, Finnick Odair. The witnesses of the scene claimed that both political figures were attacked by members of Panem’s National Guard. A video taken with Cressida Miller’s_ – _deputy of the Parliament_ – _phone shows clearly how a member of the Guard walked directly to Mellark (wife) and Odair and sprayed pepper gas on both the diplomats’ faces, giving them no chance to recover as the attacker’s companions threw tear gas bombs in their direction, followed by shooting. The video quickly went viral. Thankfully, paramedics arrived at the scene quickly and transferred Mellark and Odair to the closest Health Center…”_

He jumped from his seat and reached for his phone. He dialed everyone he knew: Plutarch, Cressida, Boggs, Castor… but no one picked up. After his 20th call finally Cressida picked up.

“Cressida!” he stammered. “Where are you? Do you know where Katniss is? I read she and Finnick were attacked. Are you with them? D-do you know anything?” he sputtered.

“Peeta, slow down! Yes, I’m with Katniss, and Plutarch’s with Finnick. We’re at Panem General.” Her voice faltered. “Katniss is with the doctor right now, and I’m not supposed to go in, otherwise I’d put her on the phone,”

“Are they okay?!”

“Well, they gave them what little they had to ease the irritation in their faces caused by the pepper gas. Thankfully they didn’t swallow much tear gas, although they received some nasty bird shots,”

“Motherfuckers,” he roared.

 “Indeed.” Cressida agreed. “Listen, I’ll call you back as soon as I can get Katniss to talk to you; my phone is exploding with calls.”

He mumbled a half-hearted agree and called Plutarch several times until the bastard picked up, but it was Finnick’s voice that answered.

“Ahoy mate,” Finn said.

“Thank God. Are you okay?”

“Eh, I’ve had it worse,” and he truly had.

Earlier that week, 3 days before Peeta’d been released, the Parliament was attacked during a session. An armed group of government sympathizers barged in and started attacking the deputies. They pushed some of them to the floor and started kicking them, Finnick included. They even bashed one’s head so hard they cut it open.

Thankfully everything was recorded and photographed for the whole world to see.

That wasn’t the first time it had happened. That had just been one time of many throughout the years. The event even made it to the front page of _The Wall Street Journal_.

“I’m glad you’re okay, buddy,”

“You know me, man; you’ll need more than those fucking pussies with their tear gas to bring me down,” Finn assured him.  “Have you talked to Katniss yet?”

He sighed deeply. “Not yet. I’m going crazy with worry. Cressida told me she was with the doctors. She promised to call me back soon,”

“Well, I’ll let you go then. See you soon, Peet,” they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Soon after, Haymitch, Katniss’s uncle and their lawyer, started calling him.

“I assume you already know about Sweetheart?” Haymitch greeted.

“Not about her condition, I only know she’s in the hospital.”

“Well shit.”

“You don’t know anything either?”

“Not a thing, kid,”

“Haymitch,” he swallowed. “I need to see her. I need to know about her condition. I’m going crazy! I need to go to the hospital,”

Haymitch’s tone darkened, “You better wait until she calls you or until she gets home. You are not leaving that house,”

“But–”

“No buts!” his lawyer fumed. “Sweetheart will kick your ass if she finds out you left the house to go to her. If you leave the house it’s Game Over, kid, they’ll put you back in a cell so small you won’t be able to spread your arms,”

_Hadn’t they already?_ he thought.

Haymitch must’ve read his mind. He sighed, “I’m sorry, boy. That’s just how it is. Don’t give Snow any more reasons to throw you back in jail,”

“I won’t,” Peeta conceded.

He heard Haymitch mumble. “Fucking paparazzi they’ll blow my phone up. As soon as you know something about my niece ring me up,” he ended the call.

Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long.

“Peeta?”

He nearly sobbed. “Oh God, Katniss, I’m so happy to hear your voice. Hi, love. Are you okay?”

“As okay as I can be, I guess,” she sniffed. “They’re keeping me here for another hour, until they’re sure it’ll be safe for me to go home. I’m sorry I couldn’t call you. I must have dropped my phone sometime during the riot,”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I’m just insanely happy to hear you’re okay,”

“It could’ve been worse,” she assured. “Finnick was with me though. Cressida told me he’s doing fine too,”

“Yeah, I talked to him a few minutes ago. He’s okay,”

He heard voices in the background. “Peeta, I’ve gotta go. Cressida’s phone is dying and the nurse is here for a final checkup before my release. I’ll be home soon,”

“I’ll be waiting,”

He quickly texted Haymitch to let him know Katniss would be coming home soon.

He waited another hour until he heard movement coming from the porch. He watched through the windows and saw Katniss getting off a motorcycle, while a guy he didn’t know helped her off, her body stiff and her face still red and splotchy. He ran to the front door and sprinted outside to meet her halfway.

She looked up at him alarmingly. “Peeta, you can’t–!”

He picked her up and held her against him, breathing her scent. She was sweaty and smelled like gas, but she still had that characteristic _Katniss_ smell. He didn’t realize how hard he was hugging her until she grunted, “Ouch.”

“Shit. Sorry, baby. Did I hurt you?” she shook her head and looked around, eyes wide.

“Let’s go in.” she nearly dragged him inside the house, waving Chaff goodbye.

Once inside, she pounced.

“Peeta! Do you know what they could do to you if they saw you outside, even on our porch? I called Haymitch. Don’t think he didn’t tell me about your brilliant idea of going to the hospital. You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you leave this house under the threat of going back to–”

He pounced back, shutting her up with his lips. Katniss didn’t falter. She kissed him back right away, her fingers curling in his hair. He was due for a haircut.

He pulled away. “I don’t want to fight. You were _attacked_ today. I’m just thrilled you’re home,”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just… god, I don’t want them to have it easy against you,”

“Let’s not talk about those scumbags now. How hurt are you?” his eyes scanned her body thoroughly.

“I was lucky. I got a few bird shots in my leg, nothing too bad. Worst thing was the pepper gas. I thought I would go blind,” she trembled. He instantly led her to the living room and sat her in front of the hearth with his arm around her. “Finn took many in the back. Thank God he’s okay,”

“Thank God you’re both okay,” he corrected. “Everyone’s going crazy about your condition. You’ll need to make an announcement soon,”

“Haymitch told me he’ll take care of it for now. I’ll show my face later tonight or tomorrow morning. Right now I just want to take a bath,” she rested her forehead against his temple.

He carried her bridal style up the stairs and sat her in the vanity while he got the water running. He took off her clothes and once she was naked threw his own clothes away. He tried not to stare too long at the forming bruises and red splotches covering her thigh and belly. His body tensed. She tilted his head up by the chin and ran her hands over his own –vanishing– bruises.

She smiled tightly and got in the shower, Peeta following obediently behind.

He washed and rinsed her hair while Katniss lathered her body with soap. There was nothing sexual about the action, just him taking care of her. He was surprised when she turned around and started washing his hair the same as he had done to her. She rubbed his scalp and pulled him down in a gentle kiss.

After they were both clean, he toweled her dry and led her to their room.

“Coming back here was difficult; almost every street in the city is barricaded, so I couldn’t get back in a car. One of the protestants that had been in the scene during the attack and later transported me and Finnick to the hospital offered to give me a ride home after I was free to go. The people made way for us to pass through the streets like we were Moses in the Red Sea,” she explained.

He ignored the tinge of jealousy. It should’ve been him there instead of some stranger.

Peeta eyed her wounds quietly. “What did the doctor recommend for that?”

“He suggested some kind of antibacterial ointment for the bruises and eye drops to prevent eye irritation. We went to several drugstores that, shockingly, were open.”

She scoffed. “Even on days like these some people won’t close their businesses for a few hours to support the cause. Anyway, surprise surprise, nowhere we went to did they have what the doctor prescribed, or anything alike,” Katniss explained calmly. This was a regular thing.

He bit back a curse.

Besides food shortage, there was also medicine shortage. Medicines of any kind were difficult to acquire in the country. Medicines for chemo, radiation, anticonvulsants, diabetes, blood pressure, even the most common things such as eye drops or cough syrup. Whatever it was, you name it; they didn’t have it, no matter how many drugstores you went to. People died every day due to the lack of medicines. Newborn babies couldn’t be vaccinated because there were no vaccines of any kind.

Regular products for personal hygiene had also disappeared years ago. Basic products like shampoo, soap, razors, deodorant, condoms, tampons, birth control pills and toothpaste. Since they were so difficult to get, people were starting to neglect their own hygiene, which caused the regeneration of diseases that had been eradicated years ago, like scabies and malaria.

It was hell.

He cleaned and later redressed her wounds with gauze while she brushed her hair. They lay back on the bed under the sheets, still naked. Her eyes closed almost instantly, but she didn’t fall asleep.

“What do you want for dinner?” he asked quietly.

“I’m not hungry. I want you to stay here with me,”

He knew they had to talk about her worry for him, but that wasn’t the night.

Instead, he did as she asked and stayed with her. She succumbed to sleep not long after. He held her close.

 ...

Next morning the bags under his eyes had taken again a purple-bluish color. He hadn’t slept a wink. Every time he closed his eyes he only saw images of Katniss being taken away by the guard, getting beaten and tortured in unimaginable ways. He woke up several times with a scream stuck in his throat. He only relaxed when he made sure she was sleeping by his side.

Thankfully he didn’t wake her up. She slept like a log last night. He hoped it was because his arms made her feel safe.

They stayed in bed until 7 am until Katniss had to get up to take several calls of their fellow politicians to discuss their planning. He heard her talking anxiously to Heavensbee. She was biting her lip and her eyes drifted around nervously.

“Do you think they’re ready, Plutarch? What if it’s too soon?” she paused. “Yes, I know people keep asking for more but what if–” she saw Peeta looking at her from the doorway and put the phone on speaker.

“ _Katniss listen,_ ” Plutarch said, “ _after yesterday, everyone is flipping out. The whole country has you on a golden pedestal. Imagine the horror and rage when they saw their brave warrior woman get assaulted by the uniformed forces_ , _and then the darling of the Capitol, Finnick, too! Your bloody faces are on the front pages of the most important newspapers of the world.”_ He praised.

Peeta knew the entire country loved and looked up to his wife. Before he’d gone to jail she had just been Katniss, Peeta Mellark’s trophy wife, just another pretty face. But once he was incarcerated everyone saw her for what she really was: a fighter. She did everything in her power, and more, to demonstrate he was innocent. Before everything, she’d been an athlete.

“ _I’m not a politician; Peeta is. I’m just a human-rights activist,_ ” She’d said years ago. Now, she fought daily in the streets alongside their people. She’d earned their respect.

“ _They’re angry as hell. We need to use that to our advantage. Focus that fire_ _somewhere useful and make sure this’ll actually change something. We can’t fight forever. It’s time,”_ Plutarch stated.

“It’s time for what?” Peeta questioned.

“Hour Zero.” She responded, “Indefinite civic strike. They’ll decree it tonight,”

He gulped. The day Finnick had been in their house he’d briefly whispered about discussing the date of the strike. Apparently, the high command of the Rebellion was sure it needed to be soon, but no one wanted to say when. During these past hundred days they’d been preparing the citizens for this very moment, but they were still scared. This was their last move. If this didn’t work, things would surely die down.

But now it seemed Plutarch had taken the wheel and made the decision himself. No one dared to oppose. They knew it had to be done.

“ _I’ll see you later this afternoon for the official announcement, Katniss. People will want to see you and make sure you approve of this decision,_ ” Plutarch spoke calmly but with authority.

They all knew that if Katniss admitted to the citizens she wasn’t following the strike because she believed they weren’t ready, many would support her decision and back down, and that for sure wouldn’t work. They needed the whole country to be on board if they wanted success. They needed Katniss to _convince_ them.

She talked to Plutarch but looked at Peeta, “I’ll be there.”

She and Plutarch quickly hung up, and she burrowed in Peeta’s arms. He nuzzled the top of her head and placed soft kisses.

“Do you not agree with their decision?”

“No, I do!” she quickly retorted. “I’m aware this is something we absolutely have to do, and we all have to stick together. We need to sum up our forces, not subtract. I’m just…” she went quiet.

“It’s okay to admit you’re scared, you know. I know everyone sees you as this indestructible person and you want to live up those expectations, but you’re human too, Katniss. You don’t have to be brave all the time,”

Her gaze never weakened. “I know. But I will be. I will not be the woman who stays home crying instead of going out and fighting,”

“You’re so much more than that, and we both know it. Everyone out there knows it,” he gestured to the street.

“I’m not scared of going out to fight. I thrive in it. I’m worried about what will happen if it doesn’t work,” she admitted. “I’m scared Snow’ll think it was your idea and he’ll throw you back in jail as a punishment. I don’t want to fear him, but he has so much leverage on us,”

“Not as much as you think.” he looked at her deeply. Gray met blue. “I told you: I’ll go back to prison if I have to, but I won’t fear him. He’s nothing but a murderer,”  

“How can you say that?!” she growled and pushed him away roughly. “He already kept you away for three years. I won’t let him take you back there even for one more day! You’ve got to stop playing hero!”

“I’m not!” he sputtered indignantly.

“Yes, you are!” Katniss argued. “You already did your part. Now, don’t think about opening your mouth and let someone else take charge!”

“Isn’t that what I’ve been doing?”

“No! With your show up there,” she pointed to the roof. “Practically begging Snow to put you back in your cell! Like you want to be tortured again,” she cried.

“Katniss–”

“Don’t think I didn’t talk to Haymitch. Psychological _and_ physical torture? You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you offer yourself as bait,”

“Fuck! Would you let me talk?” he roared. “What do you want me to say, Katniss? Yes, they toyed with my fucking mind, okay? They isolated me in a 8-square cell with no windows whatsoever, so I’d lose track of time. Sometimes I wouldn’t see daylight for days! When I was so tired I would pass out the little bastards would turn all the lights on and make all kinds of noise so I couldn’t sleep.

“One time they even…”

“What?”

“I was a fool to believe them, but it’d been so long since the last time you’d visited me, so…” he faltered.

“They told me you were dead, Katniss. They showed me a picture of you spread out on the floor, blood on your face and I just–” his voice broke.

She remembered that day. It’d been almost two months ago. She was hit on the face from behind with a helmet, and it caused blood to flow like a torrent down her nose. The shock knocked her down to the floor. Someone must have taken a picture and it got to his captors. That must have been the picture he saw.

“That’s when I lost weight. I stopped eating.” He confided.

“Imagine the look on my face when some time after they told me my wife was there to see me. It must have been fucking funny because they wouldn’t stop laughing all the way down from my cell.

“So, yes, it was devastating, but I’d probably do it again if I had to, and even though I know you do it because you love me, I don’t like it when you treat me like a porcelain doll. You don’t even say ‘jail’ around me, as if just by listening to the word I’m going to crumble. I’m not going to break, Katniss. They could only break me through one thing: you.”

 She looked down ashamedly, her eyes watering.

“I’m sorry, Peeta, I didn’t realize my worrying affected you that way.

“But why would you decide to go through all that again for the people who abandoned you and left you to rot for three years?” she lamented.

“They’re my people.” he stated simply.

“They don’t deserve you, and neither do I,”

“That’s not true. Shut up now,” he ordered and slanted his mouth over hers. He explored every part of her oral cavity his tongue could reach. It didn’t take long for his dick to get rock hard. Katniss thrust her center against him and pulled away from his mouth to moan out loud.

“Fuck me, Peeta,” she implored.

They started taking the other’s clothes off until both were completely naked. He instantly picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

He didn’t think they could make it to the bedroom, so he supported her against the wall and thrust his fingers inside her. “You’re so wet,”

“Only for you,” she promised.

He altered from fingering her to rubbing her clit until he felt her walls constricting around his fingers and she gave out breathless moans. While she was still coming he entered her swiftly.

“Fuck,” he grunted while Katniss whimpered.

He fucked her roughly against the wall until he felt her walls tightening around his cock and her head thumped back against the flat surface. She let out a string of curses and moans, which triggered his orgasm. He kept thrusting inside her until she milked him completely. Afterwards, they slumped to the cold floor with Katniss on top of him. Suddenly he remembered her wounds from yesterday.

“Shit. Was I too rough? Are you okay?”

He only felt the movement of her head. “It was perfect.” she caressed his chest.

They lay in silence for minutes, until she asked: “What do you think?”

“You’re always amazing,”

She snorted and flicked at his chest. “Not about sex, Peeta. About the strike,”

“Does it matter what I think?”

“Of course it does! You’re their leader,”

“Nah, I’m not. You said so yourself,”

She shifted uncomfortably on his chest and he held her down to him.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know. I also know what you meant. I’m not sure I can tell you whether they’re ready or not for this step since I’ve missed everything.” When he was in jail he wasn’t even aware the protests had begun.

“What I _can_ tell you is that we need to do anything that’ll help us get Snow off our backs, so let’s do it,”

She smiled.

…

Hours later he had a sense of déjà vu as he, through the computed of course, watched Katniss and the rest of the diplomats announce to the country their latest decision, only this time it was Plutarch who spoke while Katniss and the rest remained dutifully by his side.

“ _Starting tomorrow, we encourage the entire country to join us in an indefinite civic strike until Snow and his whole bunch leave Panem for good. Otherwise, we, the citizens and real owners of this land, will come for you,_ ” he threatened.

Peeta was sure the end would come soon.

After Katniss got home they watched quietly in the computer screen as the whole country rose and started preparing for the strike.

Supermarkets and drugstores were crowded, people desperately buying what little they could find and pay for. They saw extremely long lines of people trying to pay for their products.

“It seems they’ll really go through with it,” Katniss commented.

“Of course they will.” Peeta assured.

She took his face in her hands. “No matter what happens after tomorrow, will you stay with me?”

“Always,” he promised.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by Leopoldo Lopez’s “liberation” on Saturday, July 8th, 2017. He was incarcerated in 2014 and sentenced to thirteen years in prison. On Saturday he was given house arrest, and you can’t imagine how much hope and joy this brings my people. Unfortunately, he’s still a prisoner, and my mother land is too. Peeta’s character is Leopoldo, and Katniss’s is Leo’s wife: Lilian Tintori.
> 
> All big events, every one as exactly described in the fic (except the private scenes and Katniss and Finnick’s attack) were inspired by real events in my beloved Venezuela that have happened in these past few months. I basically just changed the names and wrote the story, but everything you read up there has happened and is happening in real life.
> 
> We really have been in continuous protest for over a hundred days. There really are 95 people dead, mostly between ages 16 and 23. There really are over 2000 people imprisoned for literally no reason, receiving inhuman tortures. We really are being forced to a new constitution without the citizens’ consent. We really do have an inflation of over 1000%. We don’t have food or medicines. There’s no money. There’s no security. We’re dying.
> 
> If you want to know a little more about the subject, drop by my Tumblr post explaining the situation a little bit more specified by clicking on this link: http://ohlovelyvampires.tumblr.com/post/163028577224/venezuela-2017-whats-happening
> 
> PLEASE RESEARCH MORE ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN VENEZUELA AND SPREAD THE WORD. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE WHAT’S GOING ON AND HOW OUR HUMAN RIGHTS ARE BEING STEPPED AND SPIT ON. Thank you for reading.


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